Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky held a meeting in the format of a video conference with German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday.
“During the meeting in the format of a video conference with German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier discussed the situation on the front, the need to increase defense support for Ukraine, the diplomatic process of implementing the Ukrainian Formula for Peace,” Zelensky said in his telegram.
He stressed that Ukraine appreciates the important defense decisions taken earlier this year by the German leadership, as well as the weighty support in humanitarian, financial and defense spheres since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.
“Thank you for Germany’s comprehensive assistance to the Ukrainians. For the help that has made our army stronger than financial support. Separately, I want to thank the citizens of Germany for the shelter of Ukrainians in this difficult period,” – said the President of Ukraine.
According to the press service of the President of Ukraine, the talks of the leaders took place on the day of the 31st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Germany.
They strongly condemned Russian rocket and drone terror against civilians and the destruction of critical infrastructure in Ukraine. In this regard, Volodymyr Zelenski noted Germany’s assistance in strengthening Ukraine’s air defense with the IRIS-T system, which has proven to be very good at protecting the skies and saving lives, as well as decisions to provide Ukraine with Patriot SAMs and Marder infantry fighting vehicles.
The Ukrainian president also praised the assistance of the FRG through interregional and intercity cooperation: “Our patronage over the Ukrainian-German network of municipalities is yielding results. We can see it from the volume of interaction between the cities of our states”.
Zelensky thanked the German side separately for the decision of the Bundestag to recognize the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people.
The leaders expressed their hope for the soonest return of peace to the Ukrainian land.
Presidents of Ukraine and Germany Volodymyr Zelensky and Frank-Walter Steinmeier approved a joint statement in which, among other things, they agreed on patronage over ties between cities and communities in Germany and Ukraine.”
“Today, for the first time in the history of our bilateral relations, we approved a joint statement by the presidents. Among other things, it establishes the personal patronage of President Steinmeier over the process of restoring the Chernihiv region. We agreed to work together at the local level, which is especially important in the context of our decentralization. The Ukrainian-German municipal partnership network will receive presidential patronage,” Zelensky said after meeting with the German president on Tuesday in Kyiv.
He also called Germany’s contribution to Ukraine’s movement towards peace and the restoration of our territorial integrity “weighty and significant.”
“I thanked Germany for providing the modern IRIS-T air defense system. She showed herself very well in protecting our sky. This is a priority, we all feel it. I hope that in the near future we can get a few more relevant systems,” Zelensky said.
“We discussed the whole range of threats – the continuation of missile terror, the involvement of Russia in accomplices of Iran and the next manifestations of Russian nuclear blackmail. We regard these and similar Russian threats in the same way as Germany,” Zelensky stressed.
German leader Frank-Walter Steinmeier intends to visit Ukraine, his visit is being prepared, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“Had a substantive and productive conversation with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Thanked Germany for the first IRIS air defense system. We must deploy an air shield over Ukraine immediately!” Zelensky wrote on Twitter.
According to him, Germany will also help Ukraine overcome the consequences of Russian missile terror.
“We are preparing the visit of the President of Germany to Ukraine,” Zelensky added.
Presidents of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed to maintain close contact following a telephone conversation on Thursday, Steinmeier’s office said on its website.
“Both presidents described the conversation as ‘very important and very good.’
According to it, the federal president expressed his solidarity, respect and support for the courageous struggle of the Ukrainian people against the Russian aggressors. Germany from the very beginning supported Ukraine financially, economically and militarily in its defense struggle and is united in solidarity with Ukraine, the report says.
“Germany remains a strong ally of Ukraine. There will be an official announcement about the details, I can only say that the hope of the Russians for a split in the unity of Europe in support of Ukraine is useless,” Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, wrote after the conversation.
Deutsche Welle, citing the Steinmeier Office, also indicated that the dispute over the German President’s visit had been settled.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized Ukraine’s refusal to receive German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for a visit, calling it “somewhat confusing,” reports Der Tagesspiegel.
“The federal president would like to visit Ukraine. Therefore, it would be good to receive him,” Scholz said on Wednesday on rbb24 radio.
At the same time, Scholz did not answer the question whether he would accept the existing invitation to Kyiv.
Later, the chancellor also urged not to underestimate the fact that Germany supplies anti-aircraft missiles and many other military goods to Ukraine.
“Taking responsibility means: Germany is supplying Ukraine with anti-aircraft missiles and many other military goods. Important and not to be underestimated: we are closely coordinating this with all our allies. We are not doing this alone,” Scholz wrote on Twitter on Wednesday .
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GERMAN CHANCELLOR, GERMAN PRESIDENT, STEINMEIER, TAGESSPIEGEL
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will visit Ukraine on May 29-30, the German Embassy in Ukraine has reported.
“German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will visit Ukraine from May 29 to May 30, 2018. On May 29, the German president will hold talks in Kyiv with Ukrainian President [Petro] Poroshenko and Prime Minister [Volodymyr] Groysman, and examine the state of reforms in Ukraine,” the embassy said in a statement released on Friday.
In addition, Steinmeier will speak before the students of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
On May 30, he will meet in Kyiv with students and teachers who study and teach German respectively and in Lviv with students and teachers of German studies.
The embassy said that Steinmeier would also mark the 10th anniversary of the “Schools: Partners for the Future” initiative.
Earlier on Friday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, while opening a meeting of the National Investment Council, said that the German president would visit Ukraine next week.
